Market This Week

• The EUR/JPY currency pair rose 0.15% on Friday, trading around 184.15 as investors weigh potential interest rate hikes from both the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of Japan (BoJ). • July inflation data showed a 0.1% monthly increase in headline CPI and 0.2% for core inflation, with annual headline inflation remaining high at 3.4%.

• This week's economic reports highlighted five critical trends focusing on inflation, rising credit card debt, and shifting consumer spending patterns. • The data provides a snapshot of current financial pressures facing households and the overall health of the economy.

• European stocks are currently on track to record their first weekly loss in five weeks. • Market movement was driven by divergent earnings reports, including a 15% drop for renewable energy developer Energiekontor AG following a slashed annual outlook.

• UK businesses traveling to Europe are facing cumulative roaming charges that apply per line and per day, with a small group of four people attending a three-day trade fair in Munich potentially costing £42. • Daily data rates vary by country, ranging from $2.36 per day in Germany and the Netherlands to $3.35 in France, with Italy and Ireland priced at $2.68.

• The S&P 500 reached a historic milestone on August 14, 2026, closing at a record high and surpassing the 7,800 mark for the first time. • Following this record-breaking close, stock futures showed mixed performance as investors reacted to the new peak.

• South Korean personal investors are facing severe financial losses following a brutal correction and extreme volatility in the domestic stock market. • By the end of July, approximately 1.2 million investor accounts triggered margin calls, affecting roughly one in every 30 working-age adults in the country.

• The Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) closed in the high 6,900 range, having briefly surpassed the 7,000 mark during the trading session. • The index's performance was driven by foreign investors, who acted as net buyers for four consecutive trading days.

• Asian stock markets mostly declined on Friday, with the Hang Seng losing 1% and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slipping 1.1%, while U.S. futures remained largely unchanged. • Some markets bucked the trend, as South Korea's Kospi rose 1.3% to 6,924.74 and Tokyo's Nikkei 225 gained 0.3% to 68,533.85.

• AI infrastructure stocks surged on Wall Street on August 13, led by CoreWeave, which jumped 19.5% following reports of a $104 billion backlog. • Other AI cloud providers, including Nebius and ERock, also rallied amid a wave of mega AI contracts and M&A activity supported by Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.

• The Indian Rupee opened flat against the US Dollar at approximately 95.40 on Friday, coinciding with a correction in global oil prices. • Separately, Reddit shares surged 11% in extended trading on Thursday following confirmation of its inclusion in the S&P 500 index.

• Asian stock markets are positioned for a weekly gain as investors reduce their expectations for a U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate hike in September. • The market shift follows a period of volatility driven by uncertainty and "gambling" over the Fed's future monetary policy decisions.